ICYMI: two indictments

Two crimes of local interest were indicted in Saratoga County Court last week. You may have missed this news reported in the Dec. 24 paper. Justin Taylor, 30, the Ballston Spa airman who allegedly killed his girlfriend’s Chihuahua in October, was indicted on two charges – a felony and a misdemeanor.

Matthew Lofchie of Zephyr Lane was also indicted. He allegedly tried to rob the Adirondack Trust on Church Street and Broadway in October.

See the full stories after the jump.

In other law and order news, a former hot walker convicted last year of attempted rape, had his sentence reduced by the appellate court. The panel cut five years from Bernabe Felipe’s sentence after finding county Judge Jerry Scarano should have sentenced Felipe to concurrent, not consecutive terms.

The justices also reduced the charge of second-degree assault to third-degree assault and threw out the charge of sexually motivated felony because it was tied to the more serious assault charge. Felipe was here from Mexico illegally and will be deported after he finishes his jail term.

A grand jury indicted a military serviceman Thursday on charges of assaulting his girlfriend and killing her dog.
Justin C. Taylor, 30, of Ballston Spa faces a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of assault. He serves in the Air Force.
Taylor is accused of beating his then-girlfriend at their Crestline Drive home on October 11, knocking her unconscious. He then allegedly killed her dog Calvin, hiding the body behind the house where it was later recovered.
Taylor is out on bail while he awaits trial.
Mary McChesney, mother of the victim, told the Times Union last month that the victim had rejected a plea offer that would have sent Taylor to jail for 30 days and required him to be on probation for three years and to undergo psychiatric evaluation.
Taylor must remain in the state while the case is ongoing, District Attorney James Murphy has previously said.
The grand jury also indicted another Saratoga County man on charges of attempted robbery.
Matthew Lofchie, 57, of Saratoga Springs was indicted on charges of attempted robbery in the third degree and attempted grand larceny in the third degree, both felonies.
At the time of his arrest on October 13, police said Lofchie took nearly $7,000 that day from the Adirondack Trust bank on Broadway after handing the teller a note demanding money. He then allegedly put the money down and made incoherent statements before leaving the bank.
Lofchie was riding a bicycle about three blocks away when he was stopped by police.
He remains in Saratoga County Jail.